Welcome to Arkansas State University!

Delta Research Consortium

DRC LEADERSHIP SUMMIT - APRIL 9 & 10, 2015

Arkansas State University and the Delta Regional Authority invite research officers and other executive leaders of four-year universities throughout the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions to join us for the initial phase of establishing a Delta Research Consortium that connects researchers, practitioners, and communities to the data that helps develop strategies and solutions for addressing our region’s greatest challenges.

white paper:A Network of Post-Secondary Institutions in the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt Regions, with Public and Private Partnerships.

At the summit, we will articulate a shared vision for the consortium, develop unifying strategies to advance our vision, establish priorities and develop an initial working infrastructure. Jonathan Bucki of the Dendros Group has been retained as an experienced, neutral facilitator to help guide the process.

Keynote address will be delivered on Thursday morning by Chris Masingill, Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority. More information about Mr. Masingill is available at: http://dra.gov/about-dra/board-members-and-alternates/federal-co-chairman/.

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville, TN will share dinner remarks on Thursday evening. Among numerous awards for leadership, Senator Norris is a past recipient of the Henry Toll Fellowship, recognizing him as one of the top 40 state legislative leaders in the nation. More information about Senator Norris is available at: http://www.marknorris.org/blog1/about/.

Friday’s plenary session will include Wm. David Burns, Executive Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE) and the founder and principal investigator of SENCER (an NSF-supported faculty empowerment and curricular reform program). More information about Mr. Burns is available at: http://ncsce.net/about/.

ADDITIONAL GUIDING TEAM INSTITUTIONS: Delta State University | Louisiana State University | Mississippi State University | Southeast Missouri State University | University of Memphis | University of Tennessee at Martin

EVENT SPONSORS: Delta Regional Authority | Oak Ridge Associated Universities | Arkansas State University

Delta Regional Authority
ORAU
Hope Credit Union
Ritter Communications
Dendros Group

A WEEKEND IN THE DELTA: We invite you to extend your stay in Northeast Arkansas for the weekend and enjoy the cultural arts program of the annual Delta Symposium. Artists, filmmakers, musicians, poets and humanities scholars from across the Mississippi River Delta region gather annually to showcase the art and culture of the Delta.

ABOUT THE DELTA RESEARCH CONSORTIUM

The Delta Research Consortium is a collaborative network of four-year colleges and universities throughout the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions and stakeholders from public and private organizations. The Consortium works to maximize funding and collaboration for positive and solutions-driven research in the Delta region. Together with the leadership of the Delta Regional Authority, the consortium is committed to being:

    • Collaborative and inclusive of many: Building our shared capacity for engaging research and innovation across all sectors;

    • Innovative and entrepreneurial: Elevating faculty and student research, demonstrating to stakeholders the value and relevance of research in higher education; and

  • Inspiring and impactful: Committed to bringing our shared assets to bear on the significant social and economic opportunities and challenges in the Delta for meaningful impact.
Schedule

THURSDAY

8:00 – 8:30
Coffee and Breakfast Snacks

8:30 – 9:15 
Keynote: Chris Masingill, DRA

9:15 – 9:30 
Summit Overview

9:30 – 12:00
Visioning Workshop


12:00 – 1:00
Networking Lunch

1:00 – 3:00
Strategy Workshop

3:00 – 3:15
Afternoon Break

3:15 – 5:15
Network Development and Action Planning

6:00
Dinner at 501 Club, Omar’s Steakhouse, Remarks by Senator Mark Norris


FRIDAY

8:00 – 8:30
Coffee and Breakfast Snacks

8:30 – 8:45
Welcome, Tim Hudson, A-State

8:45 – 9:45
Plenary: Wm. David Burns, NCSCE

9:45 – 11:30
Strategy Workshop

11:30 – 12:30
Evaluation & Final Reflections

12:30 – 1:30
Networking Lunch and/or Team Meetings

2:00 – 4:00
Optional: Chancellor’s Reception